The Hilliard Institute

The Hilliard Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation offering sensory education programing, experiential learning, and academic research and publishing while also supporting philanthropic initiatives through fundraising and educational training and activities—all under the umbrella of the concept of Educational Wellness. 

The Hilliard Institute. 4440 Savage Pointe Drive. Franklin, TN 37064

Email Dr. K. Mark Hilliard at mark.hilliardinstitute@gmail.com

or Professor Jessa R. Sexton at thehilliardpress@gmail.com.

The Benefits of Dance

July 11, 2026  /  Jessa Sexton

By Emilee Micah Butler

Life Is Joy Photography

Dance in itself is a sport that has a lot of different aspects. Different styles, studios, music, and on and on and on. With that, dance can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It can simply be a sport, a means of expression, or even just a way to connect. The significance varies person to person.

For me, dance is a free space. As someone who has struggled with anxiety my whole life, dance provides a space for my mind to quiet. But it wasn’t always that way.

I can remember the 8-year-old me dreading lessons. I worried about being too old for my class and too young to be taken seriously. I was scared of being noticed because I didn’t think I was good enough. Corrections made me feel like I wasn’t a good dancer. I would get stressed just getting out of my routine to go to classes.

But that all changed with the environment as supportive as the one at Studio Laugh Love Leap. While some studios take dance in a very intense route like pre-professional training or competition dance, LLL provides such a great way to get the fun and the effort of dance without a lot of the stress.

I look forward to class every single week. Dancing here has really helped me find a balance between the extremes: teaching me how to push myself to improve, learn, and all the while love to dance. 

Life Is Joy Photography

Because of this, dance feels like taking a deep breath. It allows me not only to be with people that I love but to perform and—most importantly—to glorify God.

Although I don’t want to pursue dance professionally (like I did when I was little), I love dance more today than I did even then, because of LLL. Because of the people. Because of the free space dance provides. Because of how I can praise my Maker with it. 

In a world focused so intently on “being good enough” and getting everything right, dance provides a space for you to take a step back, push yourself, and learn through mistakes. Even beyond that, dance can simply be a space where you learn to praise the God who created it.

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